Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress Wins Prayagraj Seat for the First Time Since 1984, Last Time a 'Mahatma' Became MP

Under the umbrella of the India United Alliance, the Congress party has secured the Prayagraj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. A coalition formula has been finalized between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party in the state. Along with the Prayagraj Lok Sabha seat, the party will also contest elections on 16 other seats in the state. Congress may try its luck on several prominent figures in the constituency. Nand Gopal Nandi could contest the elections from the BJP's side.

**Contenders in Discussion**

Congress might field Anil Shastri, son of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, or Adarsh Shastri, the great-grandson of Lal Bahadur Shastri, for this Lok Sabha seat. Recently, in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, both leaders participated. According to Congress sources, the party might also offer a ticket to Vivekanand Pathak, a former student leader at Allahabad University and close associate of Priyanka Gandhi. Former MPs Salim Sherwani, former MLA Anugrah Narayan Singh, and former Mayor Dr. Satya Pandey are also in the race for the ticket. Recently, Congress's regional activists demanded Priyanka Gandhi contest from this seat through posters.

**Two Lakh Fifty Thousand Brahmin and Dalit Voters**

Speaking of the caste dynamics of this seat, it comprises a majority of Brahmin and Dalit voters. There are approximately two lakh fifty thousand Brahmin voters and almost the same number of Dalit voters in this Lok Sabha constituency. These two communities will determine the victory or defeat of any party from this constituency. There are 55 thousand Kshatriya voters here. Along with that, there are 1 lakh 30 thousand Vaishya voters, 1 lakh 25 thousand Nishad voters. Additionally, there are one lakh voters from the Vishwakarma, Prajapati, and Kaul communities. Approximately 80 thousand Maurya, Kushwaha, and Pal voters are also present here.

**Merely Three Percent Vote Share**

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress contested Yogesh Shukla from the Prayagraj seat. They faced a resounding defeat in the elections. The Congress candidate secured the third position. BJP candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi won from this seat with more than 55 percent of the votes. Samajwadi Party's Rajendra Singh Patel stood second with nearly 35 percent of the votes. Congress candidate Yogesh Shukla received only 3.59 percent of the votes.

**Congress Has Not Won Since 1984**

No Congress candidate has been able to win from the Prayagraj Lok Sabha seat in the last 35 years. In the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, the century's 'Mahatma' Amitabh Bachchan was elected as the MP from this seat. The Congress party had given a ticket to Amitabh Bachchan. Since then, no Congress candidate has been elected as an MP from here.